Education Publications
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2017
Journal
Literacy
First Page
1
Last Page
9
URL with Digital Object Identifier
https://doi.org/10.1111/lit.12135
Abstract
This exploratory case study examined singing as a multimodal literacy practice within ensembles that featured art, singing and digital media produced in an intergenerational program that served a class of kindergarten children and community elders. The program that was set up by the study in collaboration with a rural school and home for seniors, saw participants meet one afternoon a week for most of a school year. Study questions concerned the meaning making and relationship-building opportunities afforded to the participants as they worked through chains of multimodal projects. Data were collected using ethnographic tools in the seniors’ home where the projects were completed and in the kindergarten where project content and tools were introduced to the children and extended by the classroom teacher. Themes were identified through the juxtaposition of field texts in relation to the literature and study questions. Results indicate that singing provided opportunities for participants to form relationships and share meaning making as a group while combining modes. Study findings forward the communicative power of singing and suggest how singing, when viewed through a multimodal lens might be a potent tool for multimodal literacy learning.
Notes
This is the author accepted version of an article originally published in Literacy